Club Orange

[twentyknots]

I’m curious about the Club Orange conversion underway on HAL’s ships.  We were recently on the Oosterdam in a Neptune suite and ate in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast every morning and for dinner one night.  We loved it.  We also like the Neptune Lounge very much.  I asked the head waiter in the Pinnacle when the Oosterdam would be converting and he said beginning in July.  He did not know or did not want to discuss details, but said other ships in the fleet not already with CO would be converted soon as well.

My questions are these:

1.  Will the Pinnacle Grill still be a specialty restaurant?

2.  If so, I assume only lunch and dinner will be available for a charge.  

3.  Will the Neptune Lounge continue as is including concierge?

[freestyling]

Yes PG will continue to be a specialty restaurant serving lunch and dinner. The Neptune lounges will also stay in place.

[twentyknots]

3 minutes ago, freestyling said:

Yes PG will continue to be a specialty restaurant serving lunch and dinner. The Neptune lounges will also stay in place.

Thanks.  We are booked on the Zuiderdam in December.     All I could find was conversion will be completed in 2019 for all ships in the fleet, so I'd have to guess the 'Z' has a high likelihood of being converted for our cruise if schedules are being met.

[Himself]

Once Clubs Orange is in , The PG will no longer serve  guests breakfast to Suite guests. They will get Breakfast at Club Orange. Non Suite Passengers will be able to join  CO for a fee of $50 per day.

[kazu]

55 minutes ago, Himself said:

Once Clubs Orange is in , The PG will no longer serve  guests breakfast to Suite guests. They will get Breakfast at Club Orange. Non Suite Passengers will be able to join  CO for a fee of $50 per day.

 

Sadly, I fear you are right.

 

But, breakfast at Club Orange will be in the MDR on the non Pinnacle ships as I understand it.  I see no benefit in this for the Suite passengers at all.  JMO.  

[twentyknots]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Sadly, I fear you are right.

 

But, breakfast at Club Orange will be in the MDR on the non Pinnacle ships as I understand it.  I see no benefit in this for the Suite passengers at all.  JMO.  

From the pictures I've viewed of CO, breakfast looks like a big step down from the PG.  I'll try to be positive about it though.  Dinner might be an improvement over the MDR.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, twentyknots said:

From the pictures I've viewed of CO, breakfast looks like a big step down from the PG.  I'll try to be positive about it though.  Dinner might be an improvement over the MDR.

 

I hear you.  To me, it’s a takeaway from the Neptune Suites on the ships that are not Pinnacle Class.

I liked breakfast in the PG.  I’d be interested in hearing your report when you have done it if you don’t mind sharing.

[RocketMan275]

I'm not interested in breakfast in the MDR.  Don't care what you call it, Club Orange or MDR, it's still the MDR.  

[kazu]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm not interested in breakfast in the MDR.  Don't care what you call it, Club Orange or MDR, it's still the MDR.  

 

I can only suggest that if you book a Neptune Suite and have not done it already, share your feelings with HAL.

 

If enough speak up who knows?

 

It's a huge mistake on the ships that don't have a dedicated space IMO.  

If no one speaks up, nothing happens and if they choose to ignore us so be it.

 

If we are going to have Club Orange (and I think we will) I am rethinking my booking for next year.  I don't need to be in a suite to eat in the MDR 😞😉 

[RocketMan275]

We have two suites booked.  One this year and another in 2020.  I will certainly comment on Club Orange.  I'd rather wait until after I've experienced CO.  Otherwise, my comments can easily be dismissed.  

[frankc98376]

The new ships are the only ships with a dedicated Club Orange Restaurant.  According to a recent release from HAL I read on the rest of the fleet Club Orange and Suite guest will have priority seating in MDR for Breakfast and dinner along with a daily special at dinner.

 

I may be missing something but I thought NS and PS guests already had priority seating in MDR- the Concierges would book your preferred time.

[twentyknots]

We have Zuiderdam 5191 booked for December.  We love the aft corner NS , especially on Verandah deck.  The cabin and verandah are enough for us to book a NS.  The other perks that come with it like PG breakfast certainly enhance our experience, and the switch to the CO might be a disappointment but not reason for us not to book another NS.  I'm sure HAL knows that many suite guests like the PG breakfast very much.  I'd like to think they would not lower the standard with the Club Orange.  Having said that, I hope they are behind schedule and the PG is still operational for breakfast in December.

[kazu]

17 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

I may be missing something but I thought NS and PS guests already had priority seating in MDR- the Concierges would book your preferred time.

 

Aboslutely correct.  They were always supposed to have priority.

 

 

[sail7seas]

5 hours ago, Himself said:

Once Clubs Orange is in , The PG will no longer serve  guests breakfast to Suite guests. They will get Breakfast at Club Orange. Non Suite Passengers will be able to join  CO for a fee of $50 per day.

 

6 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Aboslutely correct.  They were always supposed to have priority.

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, twentyknots said:

We have Zuiderdam 5191 booked for December.  We love the aft corner NS , especially on Verandah deck.  The cabin and verandah are enough for us to book a NS.  The other perks that come with it like PG breakfast certainly enhance our experience, and the switch to the CO might be a disappointment but not reason for us not to book another NS.  I'm sure HAL knows that many suite guests like the PG breakfast very much.  I'd like to think they would not lower the standard with the Club Orange.  Having said that, I hope they are behind schedule and the PG is still operational for breakfast in December.

 

 

I cannot imagine where  they can build a Club Orange on   the  "R" class  ships.

 

WhERE? What deck?

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

Not  having  Pinnalce Suite breakfast is a VERY serious cutback  IMO

 

As a Solo Neptune guest,  those cutbacks mean something considering we  solos pay 200%. 

 

 

 

They are taking away something that many of us feel factors into whether a Neptune is worth the fare charged. ...   CUT BACK, CUT  BACK   iS  there nothing  that  is not on  the chopping block?

 

 

Groan

 

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by sail7seas

[RocketMan275]

57 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

The new ships are the only ships with a dedicated Club Orange Restaurant.  According to a recent release from HAL I read on the rest of the fleet Club Orange and Suite guest will have priority seating in MDR for Breakfast and dinner along with a daily special at dinner.

 

I may be missing something but I thought NS and PS guests already had priority seating in MDR- the Concierges would book your preferred time.

I rather doubt CO in the MDR will go over well.  It's one thing to provide special treatment to some.  It's another thing entirely when you provide that special treatment in front of those who do not receive it.

 

There will be multiple complaints (and CC threads) about how the CO perks are at the expense of other passengers. 

 

And, then, there will be the threads that begin:  "We're FOUR STAR Mariners and the thing we've always liked about cruises is the lack of class distinctions.  Everyone is TREATED THE SAME.  Until NOW!  It was bad enough with suites but Club Orange takes class distinctions to A NEW LEVEL.  We'll NEVER CRUISE HAL AGAIN.

 

Or the one I'm waiting for:  "Since we were not in Club Orange, we were treated as inferiors on our last cruise.  We choose not to pay extra to receive the things we've always received as normal part of our cruise like dinner in the MDR, etc.  When we found what was happening, we went to the Front Desk and demanded consideration.  When that was denied, we immediately stopped the Hotel Service Charge."

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by RocketMan275

[RocketMan275]

44 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

I cannot imagine where  they can build a Club Orange on   the  "R" class  ships.

 

WhERE? What deck?

 

America's Test Kitchen on the Promenade Deck?

 

 

[sail7seas]

 

47 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 

7 hours ago, Himself said:

29 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 

Once Clubs Orange is in , The PG will no longer serve  guests breakfast to Suite guests. They will get Breakfast at Club Orange. Non Suite Passengers will be able to join  CO for a fee of $50 per day.

"Suite Guests"

 

28 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 

W  meaning Neptune suite or other 'suites, as well??

 

 

27 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

 

I

[twentyknots]

We were told that a section of the MDR would be repurposed for the CO.  It seems that would involve construction that would have to be done during dry dock.  In the meantime, to meet the end of 2019 conversion, will HAL just temporarily designate a portion of the MDR as CO?  If that's the plan, I think Rocketman's predictions of complaints is likely to be correct.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, sail7seas said:

 

 

 

 

I cannot imagine where  they can build a Club Orange on   the  "R" class  ships.

 

WhERE? What deck?

 

 

 

 

Not sure on your question as...

 

You quoted Himself’s post which made it very clear.

 

It’s in the MDR. - there will be no ‘build’ on the non Pinnacle ships from what has been reported so far.

[teachermandoug]

Princess now has Concierge Class mini suites, also available to Suite guests.

its in one side of MDR, with separate entrance and dedicated staff.  There are extra menu items beyond MDR.  Suite guests still have specialty restaurant for breakfast.

it works well.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, teachermandoug said:

Princess now has Concierge Class mini suites, also available to Suite guests.

its in one side of MDR, with separate entrance and dedicated staff.  There are extra menu items beyond MDR.  Suite guests still have specialty restaurant for breakfast.

it works well.

too bad that HAL isn't doing the same.

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, twentyknots said:

We were told that a section of the MDR would be repurposed for the CO.  It seems that would involve construction that would have to be done during dry dock.  In the meantime, to meet the end of 2019 conversion, will HAL just temporarily designate a portion of the MDR as CO?  If that's the plan, I think Rocketman's predictions of complaints is likely to be correct.

At least we'll get some entertainment from those threads.  I suspect they will be great reading.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we were on the Amsterdam in 2011 -- Neptune Suite and again in 2012 -- Pinnacle Suite, breakfast was not in the Pinnacle Grill.  Years ago we used to have breakfast in the King's Room but in 2011 and 2012 the King's Room was a storage room.  I don't know what it is now.

 

In 2011 and 2012 we had breakfast on the upper level of the main dining room -- starboard side -- served by Pinnacle staff.  Nothing special about it.  Others who wanted to have breakfast in the main dining room ate on the lower level of the MDR.

[twentyknots]

https://www.theluxurycruisereview.com/what-is-club-orange-hals-first-class-add-on/

 

The link above discusses the CO.  No new information here  really but it does clarify for me at least that in Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam the Culinary Arts Center will be transformed into the Club Orange restaurant.  This article was written in late 2018 so I assume this has been done.  When the new program rolls out across the remainder of the Holland America Line fleet next year a dedicated section of the Dining Room will be set-aside for the exclusive use of Club Orange guests. 

 

A "dedicated" section of the MDR is a far cry from the PG for breakfast in my opinion.